“If the city were to take over the program, that it would mean lots of tickets going to drivers that perhaps don’t deserve them and the erosion of credibility,” AAA New York’s Robert Sinclair, Jr. said.

On a cold March day at the George Washington Bridge it was easy to forget the hot tempers of August 2011. Drivers and PATH train riders were angered by a Port Authority proposal to dramatically hike tolls and fares.

Pain at the pump comes every February when refineries switch over to summer blends. This year crude oil prices are also up and gas station owners said that their prices have gone up 12 cents in just two weeks.